


Ativan Eyes

by karrenia_rune



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 23:57:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11657361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune





	Ativan Eyes

Disclaimer: Night at the Museum movies belong to their creators and producers. They are not mine and are only 'borrowed' for the purposes of the story,  
The title comes from a Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song.

"Ativan Eyes"

Larry had just completed his rounds and was fighting off a tidal wave of fatigue when he entered the equipment room. It was a good thing that the latent magic that periodically animated the museum exhibits only occurred once every other month. He did not know how he would manage if it happened every night; he might never get any rest at that rate. While he might not admit this to anyone outside of Tilly, and there were some things that might prefer to keep to himself.

One of those things was that he could never get over the fact that as a late-night museum guard that sheer joy and wonder he had first felt upon discovering that such a thing as bringing the exhibits to life was not only possible but real in a mundane world that contained such things as mixing bowls and mushrooms; was something that he believed that he would never get over.

It gave the term in the museum's latest tourist brochure, "interactive and 3-d immersive tours' a whole new meaning. 

The board of directors had taken a long time to come to the decision that in order to find a way to increase foot-traffic as well make more money, it was not enough to rely on the tried and true methods of attracting visitors to the museum. So, they had decided to create a high-tech tour of the that could be accessed via computers or tablets or even smart-phones. It was all very cutting-edge, although he'd only tried it a couple of times himself.

Just as he was about to slump rather than sit in the padded leather chair on rolling caster wheels he realized that a bulky leather-clad form was lying underneath a counter up against the far wall with his head and most of his torso hidden from view; only his muscular fur-clad legs in view. Larry sighed, and reached up to rub at his tired eyes with the backs of his eyes. There was only one person who those legs could possibly belong to, "Attila. What are you doing in here?"  
Muffled by his current position Attila, replied in broken but quite understandable English.

Larry had been tutoring the big man and they reigning in both of their natures, one more cynical and the other ebullient excitement about discovering everything he could learn about this proverbial brave new world that he could; Attila had made remarkable progress. Attila still did not get jokes and had trouble with idioms, but progress was progress.

"Ah. ah, Larry, my friend! So, sorry, sorry that I have not retired but when I stumbled upon this, this amazing contraption, I could not resist!," exclaimed Attila.

"It's a 3-D printer," Larry replied.

"A what?"

"You remember when I showed you how to create a replica of the revived Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh's esoteric magic scroll"?"

"I do," Attila nodded and scuttled out from under the counter and up onto his feet.

"Well, when this machine works like that except it creates copies in more than a flat plane."

"Very well, you look do not look well, my friend. "

"I'm tired, exhausted, really," Larry replied. My dogs are barking."

Attila looked around suspiciously, "I see nothing around here resembling canines of any sort. Are you certain?"

"I mean my feet hurt," replied Larry with a small smile curling the edges of his mouth.

Attila smacked himself on the side of the head with a broad callused hand and offered Larry a shaky smile. "Ah, I blame myself. I have perhaps unfairly taken advantage of our friendship. I have been remiss."

"No, no, don't worry about it," Larry tried as Attila came forward several steps and crushed him to his leather-clad muscular chest in a rib-cracking hug. Larry, while not as burly as the big man was a reasonably strong man, but the man did go on so. Not that he minded, really, but a little moderation might be nice once in a while.

"Ah," Larry gasped, "You know, it helps if you let me breathe here." 

"Oh, of course," Attila relented and let go. 

Before he could think better of it, or if even he wanted to, Larry suddenly said. "You know what? I was going to finish up here and head home."

Catching in mid-sentence Attila nodded. "You are suggesting an alternative, then?"

"Yeah, I am. How about we go out for a few drinks. My treat."

"Agreed!"

"But you can't go out looking like that."

"Why not?"

"Cause you're gonna attack too much attention, even in a crazy town like New York City, but I think that's a problem easily solved. Wait here, I'll be right back."

 

**  
Attila waited and when Larry returned he had a box of clothes in a box marked "Lost and Found." along with a pair of brown leather boots.

"Hurry up and change, will you. If we leave now we can still make a nice tavern and get something to eat as well."  
The jacket was a red leather with black pleats and the fabric strained to stretch over Attila's broad shoulders but Larry had to admit that it made a nice contrast to salt and pepper in the older man's hair.

***  
The tavern was a nice one and they choose a booth in the back, ordering an open-faced turkey dinner with all the fixings for both of them.  
Attila began tucking into the hearty fare with his usual good appetite; while Larry ate a slower pace, sipping at the foamy pitcher of craft beer he had also ordered, wondering how to get to the proverbial conversational ball rolling.

Larry had never really been one to consider his emotions when dealing other people, one of the reasons it had taken him such a long time to propose to Tilly, after what some folks would consider a very prolonged courtship. 

"So, do you like the food? I admit this is one of my favorite places to eat. Usually, I at work, I just order in or bring something from home."

"Yes, but back in my day, we used to travel to endless plains;, herding, hunting, and warring up, down, as if the world had no end or beginning and the horizon stretched endlessly."

"You mean, your historical counterpart, did that."

Attila sighed. "I know, I know," he waved a hand nonchalantly in the air. "Then why do wake up with other man's memories? 

"I honestly don't know," Larry sighed, taking another sip of his beer. "I can't imagine what that must be like."

A sober look came over the man's swallow mobile features like a cloud passing over the face of the sun and he idly pushed the contents of his own beer glass with a straw. 

"You know, my friend. I've given this a great deal of consideration, and I have not thanked you enough for teaching me the language of this world."

"Hey, don't sweat, man. It was the least I could do."

Attila cocked his head to one side as if thinking something through, before adding: "No, no, for don't you see. I do not wish to make the same mistake that Ankh, or whatever his name was, made."  
"He made a lot," Larry remarked wryly, Could you be more specific?"

"He woke up, if that's the correct term for what we all experienced, trying to be what he was in the past. but that's the part of the problem."  
"Yeah, I know, I know," Larry replied.

'Then you know why I wish to learn your language, learn about this 'modern world' of yours," Attila smiled. "That is if you wish to continue teaching such a dullard as I."

"Come on, man! Larry nearly spilled the contents of his beer glass. "Why, you sly, conniving.." he sputtered and trailed off.

"Is that a Yes or a no?" Attila asked. "And might we continue to make these outings a regular thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, why not. It would certainly help pass the time, and besides..." Larry stopped, with the realization that he really saw no objection to this plan and why that brought a true smile to his face. "Okay, I'll agree to be your teacher..."

"Excellent."

"But only one condition," Larry added.

"Which is?"

"You promise to stay from any modern technology, such as my 3-D printer and computer and cell-phone until I can assure myself that you won't break, blow up or set fire to anything."

"You have my word of honor," Attila said the corners of his dark Scythian eyes crinkling with the lines of frequent laughter and maybe something more.

"Good enough. Now let's finish up and head back. I gotta call Tilly and tell her I'll be home late again." 

"Indeed," Attila replied, giving a sidelong glance to a nearby couple who were engrossed in their own devices, and then another at Larry wondering why he suddenly felt like he'd won something irreplaceable and rare. 

In the back of his mind, Attila thought 'Now what is that quaint expression. I almost have it.' He rolled his tongue around in his mouth in an attempt to coax out the elusive phrase floating just on the edge of his conciousness. He almost had it, when he remembered "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'


End file.
